The Wingéd Guardian
by Fire Bear1
Summary: Arthur is an angel sent down to Earth to undertake a guardian angel mission. He has been asked to help a certain man to love - but will he manage it?
1. Sending Angels

****_**This is actually just a prologue. I just thought I'd let you know beforehand. :)  
**_

* * *

Arthur sat on his sofa, the remote control in his hand as he flicked through the channels. One of them showed a couple finding out that the woman was pregnant. The next showed a couple of children sweetly sharing their sweets with each other. Another showed a war, people shooting at each other with machine guns. Arthur frowned and flicked to the next channel. The next one showed a woman cheating on her husband. Sighing, Arthur again changed the channel, smiling at what he found there.

Two women, who each had a boyfriend, were in love with each other, although they didn't know it. Arthur thought this was a sweet story and he hoped they would realise it soon. He also hoped the women would be gentle with their break-ups beforehand, as he pitied them – they were deeply in love with the women…

However, Arthur was unable to watch any more as a knock sounded at his door. He glanced at it before rising, pulling down his toga to make sure it covered him in a decent enough manner. Then he crossed his cloud-carpeted floor, his sandaled feet sinking into the softness. At the white door, he opened it.

"Hello-?" he began before noticing the golden toga. An archangel. He glanced at his face and realised it was Gabriel. "G-Gabriel? D-Did I do something wrong in my last mission?" Arthur asked, fretting.

"There is no need to worry, Arthur," Gabriel replied, calmly. "May I come in?"

"Oh! Of course!" exclaimed Arthur, moving aside and bowing. He did so hastily and would have toppled over if it hadn't been for his wings which flapped behind him, keeping him upright.

Gabriel moved into Arthur's tidy white living space. There was a white bed in the corner. White kitchen units and cupboards adorned a wall. The white sofa faced the white box which Arthur used as a television. A white coffee table sat in front of the sofa, a vase of red roses bringing the only colour to the room, notwithstanding Arthur's bright emerald eyes and Gabriel's golden glow.

The archangel made his way to the sofa and sat down, glancing at the television. "Ah, you are watching the humans again, Arthur. This time, the Robertson sisters."

Arthur walked round so that he was standing beside him, making sure to be ready to do anything he asked of the younger angel. "I'm sorry?"

"Those two girls are the Robertson sisters. Separated at birth. They will get together one night under the influence of alcohol before finding out about their true relationship. But by then it will be too late. After being together for months, one of them will find the solace of God after her guilt-ridden conscience takes her to a church. Once rejected, the other will be angry and, after a fight results in the death of the renewed Christian, she will take her own life."

Arthur stared at Gabriel. "Thank you for spoiling it for me, sir," he said, bitterly.

"You would not be able to watch them, Arthur – you have a new mission."

"Really?" said Arthur, wondering what it could be now. "Is this a mission in Hell, Purgatory or Earth?"

"Earth," Gabriel replied. "It is a guardian angel job."

"Guardian angel?!" exclaimed Arthur, astonished. "But that is for angels younger and less experienced than I!"

"I am afraid that all the angels younger and less experienced than you are preoccupied with other jobs," said Gabriel, standing. "You are the next in line."

Arthur grimaced. "Very well. What are my orders?"

"There is a certain young man who has never been loved and now cannot love," explained Gabriel. "You must help him to love."

Arthur blushed. "W-Wouldn't it be better to send another angel? I am not good with these sorts of missions."

Gabriel looked at him apologetically. "I am sorry," he said. "These orders come from Father."

Arthur gulped. This meant that this man was important. "Well… I suppose I am ready."

"Well, then," said Gabriel, placing a hand on Arthur's head. "I am very sorry for inconveniencing you." A golden glow spread from Michael's hand and enveloped Arthur as he passed through the floor, rushing towards Earth.

As he travelled to his destination, Arthur had a thought. The way Michael had apologised at the end had sounded so sad, as if it would be the last time he saw Arthur…

* * *

_**So, I hope you liked this. For this story, I only have the first part of the first chapter (or the whole of it) and the ending in mind so I wonder what'll happen in between...**_


	2. Finding Angels

****_**So, um... A lot of people seemed to like the first chapter/prologue. I'm not sure why. It's shorter than most of my other stuff... And I forgot to put stuff in it... But I'm going to fix it in the next chapter. ^.^  
**_

_**Anyway, thank you for all the reviews. I'm glad you all like it so much.  
**_

* * *

Alfred placed an arm around the girl's waist and gently led her to the door, handing over her heels as he did so. He just wanted her out of his apartment; he wouldn't let her prolong her leaving. In fact, he hadn't even dressed, just pulled on a pair of his boxers.

The girl, her clothes rumpled and a happy, dazed smile on her face, looked up at him, not sensing that anything was wrong. "You _will_ call me, won't you?" she asked, still smiling.

"Sure, Carrie!" exclaimed Alfred, switching on a grin. "Wouldn't pass up a chance to save you again!" Carrie giggled and took her shoes as Alfred opened the door. He gently jostled her out of the door in such a way that it wasn't completely obvious that he had pushed her out. "Have fun at college!" he exclaimed cheerily before waving slightly and shutting the door. He leaned against it and sighed in relief.

He walked in to his living room, looking for the small notepad he kept in the cabinet nearest the door. In this notepad, he kept a note of the girls whose names he knew and who were the hardest to get rid of in the morning. He had managed only to write Carrie's first name, somewhere in the middle of the book, when he heard something behind him.

"Oh, great. I have to take care of a bloody _American_. I knew there was something fishy about this mission," said a man's voice. It had a clear British accent.

Alfred spun round, his gun – which had been in the same drawer – already in his hand. "What the-?" he began before freezing. He almost dropped his gun in surprise but, instead, his mouth dropped open.

Sitting on the arm of a chair was a surly-looking man. He had blonde hair, bright green eyes and huge eyebrows. But that wasn't the oddest thing about him. He was wearing a short, white toga. Most of his chest was exposed and the bottom of it barely covered him up. He was wearing a pair of leather sandals. He was sitting with his legs crossed and his back straight, perfectly balanced, one of his sandaled feet waving a little as if he was tapping his foot in mid-air. Stuck in the other sandal was what appeared to be a homemade wand, complete with a little star.

The most extraordinary thing about him, though, was the huge pair of pure white wings which were opened wide behind him. It took Alfred a second to realise that there was also a halo hovering a few inches above the man's head.

"Wh-Who the hell are you?!" exclaimed Alfred. "How did you get in here?!" He laughed suddenly. "HAHAHA, what's with the costume?"

The man clicked his tongue. "It's not a costume. I'm an angel, idiot. I'm here to help you as you are vitally important the Lord, our Father."

"Dude, look, I don't care about that stuff – aliens is the way to go!"

"Aliens?" asked the man, looking confused. "What have foreigners got to do with Father?"

"Not foreigners, dude," said Alfred with a loud laugh, still not putting the gun down. "Aliens. From outer space!"

The man sighed. "Oy, oy… This is going to be more difficult than I thought. It's probably a good thing the younger angels were unavailable."

"Look, dude, I don't know how you got in here…" Alfred began.

"By angel magic," said the 'angel'.

"Right…" said Alfred, slowly. "Look, can you just-"

Suddenly, the wings behind him flapped, lifting him off the sofa and carrying him forward till he delicately alighted on the floor a foot from Alfred. The American dropped his gun. _How the hell'd he do that?!_

The man held out his hand. "My name is Arthur. I am your guardian angel. I'm here to help you." Hesitantly, Alfred took his hand automatically and shook it. As he did so, a soft golden glow spread from Arthur's hand and twined round both their arms. "I am now bound to you," Arthur explained. "And I will be bound to you until you have been taught how to love."

"What?" said Alfred, dumbfounded. "What makes you think I need taught something like that?"

"That's what I'm here for," said Arthur with a sigh. "Now, first thing's first, let's discuss your past and all the things you've been doing wrong. Starting with that young lady you just pushed out of your flat."

Alfred's perpetually cheerful state disappeared. "First off, dude, it's none of your business who comes and goes from my _apartment_. Secondly, I don't want you help. I'm fine without you."

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "It is completely my business, Alfred F. Jones. I'm an angel. And this is all to help you. The Lord has taken interest in you. He is watching you. Even now, He is watching over you. He watches over everybody. But something you do in the future is important to Him. So, you'd better buck up, lad, and listen to me."

Alfred groaned. British people were always so caught up in themselves and he hated that. If this was all serious, why couldn't they have sent an American angel?

"Look, can this wait. I need t'get dressed."

Arthur looked Alfred up and down, no doubt taking in every one of his features. His mussed blonde hair with its permanent cowlick. His bright blue eyes behind his glasses. His _normal_ eyebrows. His well-toned body.

The angel sighed. "Very well. I have things I need to sort out, anyway."

Alfred nodded and walked back to his bedroom. He pulled on a pair of jeans, a Captain America t-shirt and a pair of Nike trainers. He picked up his bag and slung it on his shoulder before heading back into the living room to grab the gun, slipping it into his waistband. He always carried a gun – it meant he could save people in dire situations. It was usually how he picked up girls, saving them from muggers.

He glanced around the room. The angel wasn't there but an odd smell was coming from the kitchen area. His voice called through to him. "I'm making you breakfast, Alfred – only fair after I dropped in on you so suddenly!"

"Um…" said Alfred. "It's okay! I'm late! I'll pick up something to go!" And with that he turned and rushed out of the room and the apartment, locking the door behind him in the hopes that the stranger wouldn't follow him.

When Alfred returned to his apartment building he was met just outside his door by the landlord. Alfred had just opened his mouth to apologise for the late payment again when the landlord said something which shocked all of his excuses out of him.

"Ah, Al! I'm so glad you finally got yourself a roommate!" The landlord grinned. "Now I can actually get my money on time – whaddya think?"

"What-?" Alfred began but the landlord slipped by, whistling cheerily. Alfred turned and watched him. _What new roommate? I didn't know about this!_ A nasty suspicion began in the back of his mind and he hurried along to his door, unlocking it. Inside, he walked down the short corridor and, hearing movement in his bedroom, went in.

Smoothing out his bed covers was the angel from earlier. However, now, he was wearing a hoodie and jeans, a pair of trainers on his feet. His wings and halo were nowhere to be seen.

Alfred stared in horror at the rest of his room. The books were stacked neatly on the shelf. His CDs were piled neatly beside his stereo. His papers and books from college were neatly arranged and the pot on his desk was filled with pens and pencils. His wardrobe doors and drawers were closed. The floor was clean, space for moving around now visible.

His room was _tidy_.

"Wh-What the hell?!" exclaimed Alfred. Arthur turned and that just made matters worse. His hoodie was a tacky souvenir from New York, the sort that said "I 'Heart' NY". "What the _hell_ are you wearing?!" Alfred exclaimed in dismay.

"This?" said Arthur, tugging at the hoodie. "I thought I'd try to fit in…"

"_That_ is _not_ fitting in!" said Alfred. "What are you, a tourist?!"

Arthur considered this. "Well, I suppose I am, of sorts. I'm a warrior, not a guardian. I don't come down here often."

"Look, pal," said Alfred, getting irritated. "I don't _want _you here. I don't _need_ you."

"Alfred F. Jones," began Arthur, as though he was reciting something. "Born on the 4th of July, 1992. Parents abandoned him in favour of saving money. No other family. Put into care. Fostered several times. Always given up for adoption when a new member of the family came along. Moved into an apartment with a girlfriend at the age of 18 only to have her cheat. Is now living alone in a two bedroom apartment in the hopes that someone wants to be with him…"

Alfred had frozen, glaring at Arthur. His fists were clenched and he was trembling. "Get out," he said, quietly. "I don't care what you believe or what you're here for just… get out."

The angel studied him. "I can't. It's against the rules. I cannot stop watching over you until I have completed the mission." He hesitated before sighing. "Look, if it bothers you that I'm here, I'll just wait outside the front door. Then, if anything happens, I can be there as soon as possible."

Alfred watched him step around him and head to the front door. "Don't do that!" he exclaimed, annoyed. "Why don't you just _go home_?!"

"Aren't you listening, idiot?!" snapped Arthur. "I _cannot_ go home until the Lord commands it. And, here on Earth, I don't have a 'home'." He calmed down somewhat and added, "I'll be fine outside."

Alfred watched him walk along the hall, a pang of guilt being felt within him. He didn't usually feel guilty but he was, after all, supposed to be a hero. And, if he couldn't save this guy from sleeping in the streets (or in the corridor of an apartment building), what kind of hero was he? He hurried after the angel and caught onto his arm. "Wait," he said with a sigh. "If you really have nowhere to go, I suppose you can stay here. Just… don't mess with my stuff, okay?"

Arthur turned to him. "If you want. Well, at least, I say that, but what I mean is that I _need_ to stay here so this is really for my own goals. Which is to help you, because angels aren't selfish."

Alfred stared at him, his eyebrows slowly furrowing as he tried to work out what the guy had just said. "Huh? So… are you staying or what?"

Arthur sighed. "Yes. I'm staying. After all, I already put in some things to make me more comfortable – in the second bedroom, that is."

Alfred nodded. "Sweet. Now, dude, I'm going to be using the TV – you don't mind, right?"

"Of course not. Although, really, I would like to talk to you about your love life."

Alfred looked at him in distaste. "No. Just leave it, dude."

"But-"

"Look, I'm not talking to you about anything while you're wearing _that_."

Arthur sighed. Out of the pocket of his hoodie, he produced the 'magic wand'. Giving it a wave there was a 'poof' sound and a puff of smoke appeared, obscuring the angel from view. Alfred blinked and, when he opened his eyes again, Arthur was standing before him, his clothes different. He was wearing a loose, white shirt with a green waistcoat, a tie closing the collar of the shirt. His trousers had become black and his shoes were polished till they shone.

Before Arthur had opened his mouth, Alfred spoke one word. "No."

Sighing once again, Arthur waved his wand. There was another 'poof', more smoke, Alfred blinked and suddenly Arthur was standing there with a t-shirt and jeans. The t-shirt was black, a Union Jack adorning it. His jeans had a chain connected to the pocket and waistband and looked a little scruffier than his first pair. "Better?" he asked Alfred.

"You still look stupid but it's better."

"Now, about-"

"Oh, dude!" exclaimed Alfred as he glanced as his watch. "I'm totally going to be late!" And with that, he dove out of the room and rushed into the living room, switching on his Xbox and TV as he did so.

He diligently ignored the angel for the rest of the day, despite the angel trying to talk to him about love and, after realising the American wasn't paying attention, trying to go over the angel rules. He didn't want to know. He didn't want to talk about it. And, above all, he didn't want to have to either remember nor change his lifestyle.

* * *

_**Yes, well... Sorry about stuff - mainly Al's accent... I just... couldn't bring myself to have Word telling me that the whole document was wrong. And... I think it would've killed me to have the thing filled with "somethin'" and stuff like that...**_

_**Also... I have **_**just _realised how bad 'magic wand' looks without context... But, not gonna change it~_  
**

**_So, on that note... I should probably point out that Al is _never _going to pay attention. So, perhaps I should help him out and write them out for him - in the next chapter. And, what mean by that is that, the next chapter, shall be a "bonus chapter" (kinda like what I did with the L'amour au Maison story. Or whatever I called the thing). It'll just be a list of angel rules. (Some of which Gab was supposed to tell Artie but I completely forgot to put in and only remembered when Artie started going on about it being against the rules to leave Al.) Also, I suppose it'd be interesting to see (read: make up) the rules for the other types of angels..._  
**


	3. Ruling Angels - Bonus Chapter

****_**I doubt Alfred will actually ever listen or remember the rules until it's too late, so here are the rules as handed down by the archangels. The last time it was updated was probably sometime in the 1960s but no-one on Earth can be sure. (Be thankful you're getting these - I had to wrestle Arthur for the leaflet. ^.^)  
**_

* * *

_In General_:

Do not harm humans unless with good reason.

Do not go down to Earth without permission.

Do not go down to Hell without using the secure pathway or without a fellow angel.

When watching the humans, do not watch the same human for more than a week. This prevents the progression of love and the risk of falling angels.

Always help your fellow angels with a request related to their mission, where possible. We are all on the same side, after all!

_For Warriors:_

Warriors are not allowed on earth unless they have been reassigned or it is an emergency e.g. the Four Horsemen have appeared.

Warriors sent to Hell are assigned a partner and must watch each other's back.

Never leave your wand where a demon or human can find it.

_For Guardians:_

Guardians must seal their 'contract' with their assignment with a handshake.

Once the contract is sealed, guardians must never leave their assignment's presence unless they ask them to.

For general assignments, angels must remain invisible to humans at all times. For those with higher importance, appearing to the person of interest is acceptable.

As much as possible, do not interfere with any parts of the humans' lives that are not the reason for your being there.

Do not use angel magic for menial tasks.

Do not use angel magic in front of humans who know nothing about the existence of angels.

Do not interact with the humans in ways which may be sinful: do not tempt them; do not cause them to fall in love with you/fall in love with them yourself; do not engage in intercourse of any sort.

_For Cherubs:_

Do not interfere with already established partnerships.

Do not interfere with already established love triangles.

Do not deliberately make scandalous relationships.

Do not deliberately make scandalous relationships for 'important' people.

Do not spy on couples after they have gotten together.

_This is from the rules leaflet given to all new angels. They are expected to memorise it._

* * *

_**So, have you memorised them?**  
_

_**Not all of the rules will be brought up in this story but I hope you liked the extra ones. I don't know why I bothered with the extra rules but, meh.  
**_

_**Also, this is the one chapter of all the fan fiction I've uploaded on this site that I actually like. And it's not even a proper chapter! ^^"  
**_

_**Sorry that it's not a real one but there'll be another update at some point soonish. :)  
**_


	4. Teaching Angels

_**There are some bits I **_**love _in this chapter. Just what happens in it. Hope you like it. :)_  
**

* * *

The next morning, Alfred woke to the smell of something burning. "Shit!" he exclaimed, stumbling out of bed and pulling some boxers on. He rushed out of his tidier room – which was now getting a little messy again – and rushed down the hall towards the front door.

He was stopped in his tracks by Arthur – now back in his angel's attire – stepping in front of the door. "Ah, you're awake!" he exclaimed cheerily. "I've made you breakfast so you should come eat. And you have plenty of time, too!"

Alfred groaned as he was ushered to the kitchen. He collapsed onto a stool at the unit which gave a clear view of the TV and tried to ignore the smell wreathing round him, gradually dispersing through the window which Arthur had thoughtfully opened wide. Arthur produced a plate with a mass of blackened food. Alfred stared at it for a moment before picking up the remote and switching on the TV to watch the early morning cartoons.

"Alfred…?" said Arthur with a stern tone. "Should you not be studying with your spare time?"

"No," said Alfred, groggily shovelling some food onto a fork and crunching into it.

After a pause, Alfred heard the angel say, "I-Is it… good?" Confused by the tone, Alfred looked up at Arthur. He was twisting his wand round and round in his hands, his expression twisted in nervousness. He looked really ugly, especially with the unnaturally thick eyebrows.

"It's awful. I hate it. But I have nothing else to eat, even if it _is_ disgusting." Alfred watched the angel droop with glee. If he made the angel feel awful, perhaps he'd disappear. Then Arthur's expression changed to embarrassed anger.

"You-You don't _have_ to eat it! It's not as if I made it for you, anyway! I just wanted to try out cooking with human appliances! If you don't like it, give it back!"

Alfred shook his head. To annoy Arthur, he'd now just eat it all. Ha! That'd teach the angel. He stuffed the lot into his mouth before Arthur could remove the plate. "Finished!" he said with his mouth full, waving the plate at Arthur.

The angel stared at him, looking rather shocked. "You-You ate… it all…" he said, haltingly. For a moment he just stared at him, his pale face slowly becoming flushed. Then he broke into a smile. "I'll wash the dishes, then," he said happily.

As Arthur turned to the sink, Alfred blinked. When Arthur had smiled, he was sure he had lit up and begun to glow. It was quite beautiful.

He shook his head and went back to his cartoons.

* * *

Half an hour later, Alfred felt slightly more awake so he stood and stretched, his muscles straining as he did so. _A shower would do wonders,_ he thought. He turned to Arthur to find him staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

Arthur blinked. "I'm just watching over you Alfred."

"Right… Thanks. I'm going for a shower. Please try not to watch me there, okay?" Arthur only nodded in reply and Alfred went to the small bathroom.

It only contained a cabinet, a sink, a toilet and a cramped shower. He pulled off his boxers, letting them drop to the floor and stepped into the shower. He quickly washed his hair before lathering soap on himself, rinsing himself off shortly afterwards. Once out, he quickly dried himself before letting the towel drop beside his boxers. Then he left the room.

He was immediately confronted by Arthur who was standing in front of the door, staring at it. They both froze as Arthur's eyes flickered downwards.

Alfred gave an embarrassed yell and leapt backwards, slamming the door. He retrieved the towel and wrapped it around himself before slowly opening the door, peering round it. He couldn't believe he had forgotten about the angel! But there he was, staring at him. He burst out of the bathroom. "What the hell, dude?!" he exclaimed. "Stop staring at me! It's unnerving."

"But it is my duty-" began Arthur.

"I don't care!" snapped Alfred. "It's creepy! Stop it!

Arthur eyed him for a moment before sighing. "Are you ready for college, then?"

"I still have to get dressed, y'know!" exclaimed Alfred in exasperation.

Arthur nodded. "I also have to get changed," he said, gesturing at his angel outfit.

Alfred stared. "You're not coming with me, are you?!"

"Of course," said Arthur, looking at Alfred as though he was stupid.

"No! No, you can't!"

"Well, you can't leave here, then. I _must_ stay with you."

Alfred bit at his lip slightly. He would either have to stay inside, unable to pick up girls or take this weirdo with him. Why did this have to happen to him?

"Fine, fine!" said Alfred, hurriedly. "Go and get changed…"

Arthur nodded and turned towards his room, slipping in quietly. Alfred sighed and hurried to his own room. He tugged on a fresh pair of boxers, grabbed a pair of jeans (which appeared to have been washed) and pulled on a favourite t-shirt of his which was starting to get quite worn. He paused and then struggled his way into a thin blue hoodie. Slipping into his Nikes, he hurried back out of the room, grabbing his bag as he did so. Looking up and down the hall, he didn't see any sign of the angel. _Maybe I can get away without him!_

But his jubilation was cut short by his imagination which threw up a scenario wherein the angel would burst into his lecture room. Demand to see him. Drag him back here. And then-

Alfred frowned. He wasn't entirely sure what an angel would do for punishment. Keep him locked up? He doubted that. So, perhaps he _could_ just go…

With a sigh, Alfred took the two steps to the other bedroom's door and knocked. Then he turned the handle and pushed.

"No! Stop!" came the cry from the other side of the door as bright white light spilled through the gap. A weight was thrown against the door and it was shut on the American.

He blinked and, suddenly, the door was opened again. Arthur stood there wearing a t-shirt and shirt combo and a pair of loose jeans, a black belt holding them in place. A pair of nondescript sneakers were on his feet to complete his look. He had a small rucksack for a bag, slung over one arm. He looked rather sheepish.

"S-Sorry – but you can't see when I'm changing. It's too dangerous for you…"

Alfred rolled his eyes. Then he caught sight of the room behind the Brit. "What the-?!" he began, shocked. He pushed passed Arthur who blinked in confusion at his shock. The room had been stripped bare. There was a wardrobe at one end. In the middle of the room was a single solitary table, a Bible carefully placed, a ribbon poking out of its place. "Why don't you have a bed?!" demanded Alfred.

"Angels don't sleep," explained Arthur. "At least, we don't need to when we have all of our powers. So I don't need one."

"What are people going to say if they see this?!" Alfred said in exasperation. "They'll think you sleep with me!"

Arthur frowned. "I don't see why they would think that. Besides, I can just tell them that I don't need sleep and everything will-"

"That'll just make things worse!" exclaimed Alfred, hurriedly. "We need to get you a bed!"

"Ah, well…" said Arthur, a little confused. "I suppose I could magic one here. Even though I'd rather not use it on something as trivial as this…"

"Look," said Alfred, giving up as he glanced at his watch. "I'll help you find one on the way home later, okay?" Arthur nodded, following the American as he hurried out of the door, regretting not having left while Arthur was still preoccupied.

* * *

Alfred slipped into a seat beside his friend Kiku and Arthur sat down next to him. Kiku stared past the young student and at the man who looked a bit older. Alfred ignored this, not keen on trying to think of an excuse for who Arthur was. Unfortunately for him, Francis then turned up, sitting next to Kiku, glancing at Arthur as he did so. He leaned forward to talk to Alfred. "Who is your friend, mon ami?"

"Uh…" said Alfred, trying to think quickly.

On his other side, Arthur leaned forward. "I'm a friend of his, Arthur, from England. We're pen pals. I'm here visiting for a few weeks before I go back to university."

"Vraiment?" said Francis, smiling politely.

"Yes," said Arthur. "I have nothing to do during the day so I thought I would sneak into Al's lectures to see what he gets up to."

"So, Arthur-san," said Kiku, finally speaking up. "Where are you staying?"

"Al and I are going to pick up a bed today to put in his second bedroom. I've been using the sofa for the past couple of nights."

"Ah," said Kiku. "Well, what will you be studying at university, Arthur-san?"

"English Literature. I just love to read books – especially by authors from Britain."

"Hm," said Francis, grinning a little. "I wondered who I would give zis to," he said as he produced a red rose. "I was passing some girls earlier and zey 'anded me 'zis to give to my 'one true love' – and I zink I just found 'im, non?"

Arthur stared back at him, frowning a little before glancing around. "I don't understand," he said, finally. "Who are you talking about?"

"You, mon cher!" said Francis, his grin faltering a little.

Arthur stared for a moment, turning slowly red. "M-me?!" he exclaimed. Then he threw himself backwards in his chair and out of Francis' line of sight.

"Francis-san! Don't tease the guest!" exclaimed Kiku, a reproachful tone in his voice. He looked round in Arthur's direction. "Do not listen to him, Arthur-san. He is just having fun at your expense. He does this with anyone new he meets."

"Hey," said a low voice and Kiku and Francis both glanced at their friend. Alfred was looking gloomy. "Why are you ignoring me? I'm more important than him!"

"Ah, désolé, Alfred, cher," said Francis, cringing at the stern look.

"Gomennasai, Alfred-kun," said Kiku, bowing his head slightly as the lecturer came in. The students sat back as they watched him set up his lesson and begin. As soon as the title slide came up, Arthur gave a chuckle.

"I remember this," he muttered as several people glanced around at him, Alfred included. "I was there, you see. The Fall of Babylon. I didn't think you had the patience for history lessons."

"Shut up," hissed Alfred, turning red as he noticed people frowning in their direction.

Arthur did so for a while until the lecturer highlighted a particular detail. "That's wrong," he said, this time loud enough for people to hear. Alfred sank down in his seat.

"Oh, really," said the lecturer. "And why do you think so Mr…?"

"I'm Arthur," said the angel as Alfred sank further down, desperately wanting a hole to open up beneath him so he could fall through to the floor below. "That's not how it happened."

"Can you explain, Arthur? Or are you just disagreeing with me for the sake of it?"

"Of course I can prove it," said Arthur while Alfred begged silently for the angel to not say that he had been there… Instead, much to everyone's great surprise, Arthur listed several sources which quoted the point differently. Once he finished, he sat down in the silence. It was only broken by scribbling as the students took notes.

The stunned lecturer glanced at his watch before dismissing everyone, collapsing into his chair as they left. As Alfred hurried by, beckoning Arthur to follow, he heard him mutter, "A student actually did research before a class…?" Out in the hall, Alfred hurried into a broom cupboard and dragged Arthur in with him. That was when he rounded on him.

"What the hell was that, dude?! You freaked everyone out with your- your- your stuff! You can't just correct a lecturer!"

"But he was wrong…" said Arthur, sounding confused.

"Look, you told me you had to watch me," said Alfred, irritated. "So use your eyes and not your mouth! Don't talk outside of the apartment unless it's urgent! Got it?"

Arthur thought about it for a second. "I suppose that _would_ be wise," he admitted, eventually. "But I'm only going to stop talking because it benefits me in that I can keep within the boundaries of the rules imposed on me, okay? It's not because you asked me to."

Alfred, an angry expression still on his face, watched the blush creep onto Arthur's cheeks and finally wondered why angels could blush…

* * *

After a rather stressful day at college, Alfred trudged into a huge department store, Arthur trailing behind him. He made his way reluctantly to the bed section, collapsing into the first one he came across.

"Yes, that one will do," said Arthur, scanning the single bed.

Alfred glanced at him, an expression of disbelief on his face. "You should test the others first, y'know. Or are you just stupid as well as weird?"

Arthur bristled before stalking off to test the others. Alfred breathed deeply, relieved that he'd gotten rid of the angel for a few minutes. He closed his eyes and relaxed, his breathing slowing as he began to fall asleep in his comfortable position. He had barely done so when he was aware of a presence and someone spoke.

"I've tested them all," said Arthur.

Alfred jolted upright. "What?! Already?"

Arthur just nodded. "As you almost fell asleep on that bed, I would say that is the best one, even if I won't use it."

Alfred stretched and nodded. "Let's go get it, then." He led Arthur to a salesperson and began the purchase. Arthur just watched. When the man Alfred was speaking with realised it was a single bed, he smiled knowingly.

"Ah, is one of you a snorer? Trust me – _worst_ thing in the world is a partner who snores. My Johnny – wow, what a-!"

"No!" exclaimed Alfred, quickly. "He's just my roommate! It's _not_ like that! I'm into girls, dude!"

"Ah…" said the man, looking from the outraged and red Alfred to the rather confused-looking Arthur. "I'm sorry sir…" he muttered, ashamedly. The man then proceeded to help them with the transaction, no further comments added.

Once they were inside the apartment, Arthur at once opened his mouth as he single-handedly dragged the bed into his room, Alfred watching. "That was rather rude Alfred. Why on Earth did you snap at the man?"

"Dude, you did _not _just ask me that," muttered Alfred before shaking his head at the naïve angel and walking into the living room to play video games.

* * *

_**I'm trying to write from Alfred's point of view but it's really difficult when trousers = pants and trainers = sneakers. I mean, I know all this but there's a part of my brain which seems to be a stubborn Brit which says "No. What are you doing? That's wrong! Use the right word!" =/ It's sort of annoying...**_

_**EDIT: I've finally realised my asterixes don't work... ^^" So I'm finally putting in the line separater thingys. :)  
**_


	5. Watching Angels

****_**I'm sorry for this chapter... It's not all that great. It's just setting up something for another chapter which is setting up something for another chapter which is setting things up for the pivotal moment in the story. Or something like that... Ha...**_

* * *

Arthur once again accompanied Alfred to his lecture the next day. Alfred scowled at him whilst they were getting ready and when they weren't being watched by others. When other people _were_ around, however, his attitude would change and he would pretend to be happily in conversation with the angel. The angel, in turn, would appear confused before calmly answering.

Whilst sitting in an on-campus café, Alfred spotted a cute red-head serving the tables. He caught her eye without much effort and she hurried over to serve them while Arthur was still perusing the menu. Alfred, meanwhile, had set his aside; he grinned up at her while he lounged in his seat, his arm resting on the back of the booth, one ankle on the his other thigh.

"Hi, there!" the girl said cheerily in a Southern drawl.

"Hey," Alfred replied.

"Hello," Arthur supplied, giving the menu another quick glance before looking up and surveying the two.

His gaze irritated Alfred but he forced himself to ignore him. He glanced at the girl's nametag and memorised the name: Lisa. At least, he would try to remember for the moment…

"What can I get for you?" she asked, smiling down at Alfred, ignoring Arthur. Apparently, thick eyebrows were a turn-off for her. Alfred resisted the urge to look smug.

"Well, what can you suggest?" asked Alfred, his voice a little deeper than normal. Arthur raised an eyebrow over his menu. Alfred once again ignored him.

"Well, how about one of our famous burgers? They're real tasty. And if you're looking for something sweet afterwards…" She flashed him a teasing smile, leaning towards him slightly. "I know just what to get you…"

Alfred's grin grew. "Well, why don't I try your burger? And whatever else you can bring me."

The waitress nodded. "Of course… _sir_," she said before turning and leaving. Alfred watching her sashay her way to the kitchen, focusing on her derriere. He glanced back up when she was out of sight and caught Arthur's disapproving gaze.

"What?" Alfred snapped, frowning at him.

"Nothing…" said Arthur, giving the other an appraising look. Alfred hated it – he felt like he was judging him and planning something at the same time. "But…" Alfred blinked, seeing Arthur frowning in the girl's direction. "I don't think you should flirt with her, Alfred. She's terrible at her job."

"What?" said Alfred again, brow furrowed in complete confusion.

"She never took my order."

* * *

After they had both acquired food, they ate quietly. Arthur had nothing to say to Alfred which he hadn't said already. Alfred didn't want the angel there in the first place and would much rather pretend he wasn't there. The clinking of the cutlery and the murmur of voices around them was the only thing stopping them from being in total silence.

Suddenly, Lisa reappeared, looking rather chipper. "Hey, guys, is everything okay?"

Alfred swallowed his mediocre mouthful and grinned up at her. "Everything's swell!" His eyes flickered over her briefly before he spoke again. "Hey, when d'you get off?"

The girl brightened at these words. Arthur gave a slight cough but they both ignored him. "Oh, in about two hours. I can meet you outside if you want."

"Sure," was Alfred's reply, despite Arthur's glare. "I'll see you then!" He grinned up at her again while she smiled happily and turned, leaving them to finish their meal. "What's wrong with you?" asked Alfred, his expression fixed as he watched her go.

"I'm here to help you discover love. I can't do that whilst you blatantly flirt with anyone you consider even remotely attractive." Arthur placed his knife and fork down carefully. "I don't think this date will go well. Besides which – where on Earth do you plan on taking her?"

"Oh, nowhere special," said Alfred, glancing back down at his burger and reaching for it. "Probably just another burger joint."

Arthur's hand shot out and pulled Alfred's plate away from him. "That sounds like the worst idea for a date I have ever heard."

"It always works, though!" exclaimed Alfred with a pout, reaching for the plate.

"You should at least wine and dine a girl properly. Perhaps this will be the first step in teaching you how to love."

"I know how to love!" snapped Alfred, snatching back his plate. "Just leave me alone already!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'll book us a table at a better restaurant."

"Fine. You do that, then," said Alfred, irritated. With a grateful smile, he picked up the burger and opened his mouth wide to take a bite. He froze when he realised the way Arthur had phrased his previous comment. "Us?!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry?" said Arthur who had folded his hands together on the table and was watching him calmly.

"What the hell do you mean by 'us'?!"

"Well, you, Lisa and I, of course," said Arthur calmly, blinking innocently.

"Did you just say 'I'?"

"Well, yes. Why?"

"You are _not_ coming with me!" exclaimed Alfred causing heads to turn. He lowered his voice. "I don't care what you do tonight, just don't turn up with me or I'll beat your ass, okay?!"

"But…" said Arthur, looking quite shocked. "I have to be with you. I need to watch over you."

"Well, figure out another way to do that!" Alfred snapped. He stuffed the rest of the burger in his mouth and stood. Grabbing his bag, he stomped from the diner. He managed to remember himself enough to smile at Lisa before his bad mood descended on his face.

* * *

When Alfred returned wearing a shirt over a trendy looking t-shirt, jeans and a pair of Converse, he couldn't see Arthur. He was rather relieved. The strange thing had been that, over the past couple of hours, he hadn't seen the angel at all. The feeling of being watched that had grown over the past few days, however, was still present. It was even present now but, having gotten used to it, Alfred ignored it.

Lisa appeared beside him suddenly and he jumped a little. "Hey, there," she said, spinning so her yellow dress spread out around her, revealing much more of her legs. Alfred grinned as she did so, watching her delicate legs expertly carrying her round in a circle. He raised his eyes to the top of the low-cut dress as she stopped. "What d'ya think?"

"Beautiful," said Alfred with a smile, though he didn't really mean it. Pretty, sure. But he never found any of his conquests beautiful. And they usually didn't hold his interest for more time than it took for him to convince them into his bed. Not many people did.

Alfred felt Lisa slip her hand into his and she smiled up at him. "So, where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see!" said Alfred with a grin and a wink. "How was your day?" he asked, letting her prattle on about things while he thought.

There definitely seemed to be something wrong with him. Nothing and no-one interested him. He was lucky he had decided on a course at college. He didn't much care about anyone at all, one way or another.

Arthur, however, was the only person who could really annoy him. Normally, he didn't care what people did or said to him. He would just smile and continue as normal. It was how he got through most of the days. Arthur, however, managed to irritate him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand to live with him before he would punch him.

"Ah, we're here," said Alfred, suddenly, stopping in front of a cosy-looking restaurant. He had really been intending to take Lisa to a burger joint but, remembering Arthur and what he had said, he decided to take her to the first restaurant he found.

_After all, it would be interesting to find out if the sex is better if I "wine and dine" her…_ After thinking this, Alfred had a strange sensation that someone, somewhere, was clicking their tongue and shaking their head at him. He frowned briefly before the smile returned and he guided Lisa inside.

* * *

Arthur clicked his tongue and shook his head. "That's an awful thing to think, Alfred Jones," he muttered to himself. He shifted his weight in his place on the couch, brushing his fingers over the TV remote, resisting the urge to watch other things. His sandaled feet were resting on the coffee table. His wings were outstretched behind him but resting on the back of the couch. His halo hovered above him, glowing softly.

Whilst Alfred was on his date, Arthur had decided to watch him from the comfort of the flat. Using his magic and his halo, he had hooked up the television to show what was happening with Alfred. He had also made sure to watch over his thoughts so little thought bubbles kept popping up on the screen. His thoughts were really in disarray. And Arthur could see his deep fear of commitment. He felt sorry for the human.

He watched as Alfred and Lisa sat a table which, thankfully, was lit by a candle. "Thank goodness," Arthur sighed to himself. Then he watched as Alfred brooded about why he was the way he was, letting Lisa's words wash over him.

_He's not even listening to her. This is worse than I thought. I'm not sure what I'm going to have to do to elicit a romance for this boy._

At this point, Arthur heard the click of the front door unlocking. Glancing towards the closed door of the living room, he wondered if he had been hearing things. This theory was quashed when he heard the creak of the front door of the apartment opening.

"Ah," said Arthur to himself. He sighed and picked up his wand. Then he intoned a spell in the language of angels. The air around himself and the television rippled and seemed to thicken before settling. To Arthur, it looked normal. To anyone else bar, perhaps, Alfred, they would also notice nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, they wouldn't notice him as, instead, they would see an empty sofa and a beat-up TV, turned off for the moment.

Arthur went back to watching Alfred as he gave Lisa some compliments. They were all basic things such as, "I really like your eyes" or "You have a nice smile". However, his compliments never went further than simple things, not committing himself to anything better or worse. Arthur was beginning to believe the American was a lost cause.

"Oh, yes, your friend?" said Lisa, suddenly, catching Alfred's attention. Arthur's eyes narrowed as he watched. "Does he live with you? Or is he just visiting? He has a weird accent…"

"Uh, he just moved in," said Alfred whilst thinking angry thoughts about how she was probably more interested in Arthur. Arthur clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "He's studying the same course as me."

"Would he… be in your apartment just now?"

"Probably. 'Course, if you'd like him to be somewhere else, I can get rid of him, if y'know what I mean?" He flashed her a cheeky grin.

"Hm, let's see what happens, okay?"

Arthur noticed something, though. Alfred had suddenly taken an interest in Lisa when she had mentioned the angel. He seemed to be worrying that she liked Arthur. Blinking, Arthur frowned. What on Earth did this mean? And how could he use this to get him to fall in love with her?

At that moment, the door to the living room opened. Arthur glanced up. A man entered with a bag. He was hunched over as though he was trying to hide himself. His balding head looked up and his small eyes shifted around the room. His large nose seemed to sniff out the expensive games consoles and he moved towards them.

The angel was itching to do something, anything. He wanted to stop the man. Yet, he knew this was impossible. That would be breaking the rules. He had reread the rules regarding the guardian angels before he had revealed himself to Alfred.

_As much as possible, do not interfere with any parts of the humans' lives that are not the reason for your being there._

This wasn't anything to do with love. So Arthur could do nothing but watch out of the corner of his eye as the man picked up the expensive consoles and games and stuffed them into the bag. Weighed down, he continued to search the room, avoiding the couch due to the magic present.

Whilst that was going on, Arthur saw the couple getting dessert. Lisa seemed to enjoy being able to talk at her leisure and Alfred was once again bored. Suddenly, he spoke.

"Would you like to come to my place?" he asked, brazenly.

_No!_ thought Arthur. _That's not going to work, you utter im-_

"Sure!" exclaimed Lisa, excitedly.

Arthur stared at the TV screen and sighed, ignoring the man who looked around nervously and decided to leave. He hurried out of the room, leaving it in a mess. He closed the doors behind him, locking the front door just as expertly as he had unlocked it in the first place.

Alfred smiled and called for the waiter to pay. "Well, he's going to get a shock when he sees the prices," Arthur muttered to himself, a little irritated that he had easily managed to convince Lisa to go home with him.

He leaned back on the couch, pondering what to do next. What would be the best way to have Alfred fall in love with someone?

* * *

_**Yeah, I wasn't sure how to do a "Southern drawl" so, really, she's just talking normally, ha. I'm not even sure what a Southern drawl is... Unless it's that Texan "How y'all doin', y'all?" thing... Ha... That's probably not even Texan. Whatever, I give up. Basically, Lisa should have a thicker accent than Alfred's rather New Yorkish accent. I don't even know... **_

_**Anyway, I'm glad I wrote out these rules... Very handy for future reference. :)  
**_


	6. Bottling Angels

****_**So. Here it is. The next chapter. I don't really have much to say this time round except that it took so long cause I got distracted. The Internet is a dangerous place... O.o**_

* * *

Alfred stared at his door: the slight gap between it and the jamb was easily visible. Why was it like that? Had Arthur left it open? Somehow he didn't think Arthur was the kind of person to do that. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he grew worried. He might not like the angel but he didn't want him hurt either. Though, surely, he would be fine? Surely he would be able to fight back, use his angel powers to stop them?

"Hey…" said the girl behind him, a questioning tone to her voice. He glanced at her. She looked a little worried herself – she had obviously seen the open door. "Will your friend be okay?" she asked him, a frown crossing her face.

The confident man flashed her a grin. "I'm sure he's fine!" he exclaimed hurriedly. He couldn't believe the angel was getting in the way without actually being around. "Let's just go in, yeah?!"

"Maybe I should just go…"

Alfred studied her expression. She seemed to not want to be near the scene of a crime if this was what it was. Alfred frowned slightly before trying to reassure her. "Nah, it's alright! I'm sure everything's fine, y'know? Don't worry! I'll heroically go scout out what's going on!" He showed her his white teeth again in another grin. "Don't worry!" he added again, patting a hand on her shoulder. He turned and pushed open the door, missing the girl's disappointed and annoyed look.

Once the door had swung open, he realised immediately that he had been burgled. The phone in the small hallway had disappeared. He didn't really need it – he mostly used his cell phone – but the orphanage used that number to check up on him from time to time. Really, though, he didn't need them to.

However, the sight of the absent phone worried him to such an extent that he hurried through to his own room. Throwing open the door, he glanced around the messy room. His laptop had been taken. So had his iPod and some other odds and ends – it was hard to tell what was gone at first glance as the room was in a worse state than normal. Hurriedly, he went into Arthur's room. That was in a mess, too, though his Bible still sat on the table. Did that mean that Arthur was out or did that mean he had been too hurt to tidy up? In a slight panic, Alfred hurried to the living room, barely sparing the hovering girl a glance. He burst in – and froze.

Arthur was sitting on the couch in his angel outfit, leaning forward. His bright white wings were spread behind him, resting them on the back of the sofa. His toga was barely covering him again. He was hitting Alfred's remote control off his hand when Alfred entered but he pointed it at the television again and pressed a button a few times, obviously trying to get it to do something. Alfred glanced at the TV and his mouth fell open. On the screen was him, staring at it. Then something popped up, detailing his train of thought as he put two and two together. The alarm was clear on his face when he realised Arthur had been able to see his thoughts. Had he seen what he had thought about Arthur earlier in the night?

Alfred began to turn red. Arthur had been here all night spying on him. He had seen all his thoughts. He hadn't stopped the burglar. His anger seemed to slowly build up as Arthur looked up at him. The angel's expression was one of surprise. He had obviously not expected Alfred to burst into the living room the way he had.

"What…" said Alfred, dangerously quietly. "What… are you doing? Arthur?"

"You said I could not be with you so I have been watching over you from afar," Arthur explained, matter-of-factly.

"Didn't you hear the guy who came in and stole all my stuff?"

"Oh, I saw him," said Arthur, waving a hand dismissively. "He came in here and took your games consoles."

"He… did… what?" asked Alfred, still trying to stop himself from shouting.

"Well, he took the things worth value…" said Arthur, beginning to look a little uncertain. "But… I couldn't stop him, you know."

"Why not?" growled Alfred.

Arthur sighed, getting annoyed himself. "I _told_ you already, Alfred. There are certain rules I must follow. Robbery is not something I can concern myself with. I have to focus solely on your love life."

Alfred exploded. "What the hell is your problem?! I don't even want you here! Get out!" He wanted to throw something at the angel, but he didn't have anything on hand.

"Um…"

"WHAT?!" shouted Alfred, spinning round to face the door. The girl's eyes widened and he knew immediately that he had lost the chance to get her to bed. This only infuriated him further and, once the girl had stomped off, he rounded on the angel.

"You bastard!" he snapped. "You ruined my date!"

"What are you talking about?!" snapped Arthur. "I was not the one to shout at her and scare her off. Even if I _had_ shouted, she wouldn't have heard me. Currently, you're the only one who can see and hear me."

"Oh, even better!" exclaimed Alfred. "Now she thinks I'm insane!"

"Would you just calm dow-?"

"No!" snapped Alfred. "This is all your fault! You and your stupid magic and your stupid creepiness! I wish you'd just stop watching me altogether! It weirds me out!"

The grand angel stood, flexing his wings as if he would rather be flying than be in the flat. "You really want me to stop helping you?" he said, avoiding the American's gaze.

"Yes! I never wanted your help in the first place!"

Arthur placed a finger at his chin, his other arm crossing his chest to hold the other up. He seemed to be thinking hard about something. "My following you around is unnerving you, stopping you from relaxing and forming any new relationships?"

Alfred blinked. The conversation seemed to be turning and he had no idea where it was heading. He gazed at the angel's worried expression – Arthur still wasn't looking at him. His cheeks were tinged pink – was he embarrassed about what he probably thought was some sort of faux pas? "Well, yeah…" he eventually said.

"Hm…" said Arthur before he looked up at Alfred, straight into his eyes. Those shining green eyes seemed a little scared to the young man. He glanced away for a moment before looking back when Arthur spoke again. "I think I have a solution…"

"Yeah?"

"Yes." The angel turned from the human and began to make his way to the kitchen. "We're going to need a jar," he muttered.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute!" exclaimed Alfred, annoyed at being ignored all of a sudden. "What are you gonna do?!"

Arthur paused before sighing and turning around. "I have heard that some guardian angels also have this problem – the person not wanting them to be there with them every hour of the human's day. So they fixed the problem by removing their need to be there all the time. They took away their angel powers and became almost human. They still remembered who and what they were, they still remembered their purpose, their mission, but they became nothing more than another friend to the human. It's… a very difficult and painful procedure and the magic needs to be shut away. A jar should do… Ah! But, I would want to keep at least the ability to sense any danger you are in and be able to come to your aid immediately…"

"You- You're going to… For me?" asked Alfred, flabbergasted.

"No!" exclaimed Arthur, blushing now. "No! This is for the mission! It has nothing to do with you! Nothing whatsoever! This is entirely for my own benefit!"

Suddenly, Alfred moved forward and caught Arthur's wrist. He gazed into those emerald eyes and he could see the angel freeze, shocked. "Before you do something as insane as that…"

"Y-Yes?" breathed Arthur, frowning slightly in confusion.

"Before you lose your powers – get me back my stuff, okay?"

Arthur stared at him in obvious shock as Alfred let go and backed away. Then the angel scowled and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Sheesh! You are so impertinent." Alfred blinked and the angel had disappeared. He looked round and, figuring it would take a while, he made his way to his room to assess how many of his things had been stolen.

He was surprised to realise, on his way there, that he was a lot calmer all of a sudden. He reasoned that, to be completely honest, he had only been angry when he realised that Arthur could have stopped it. If he had still lived on his own, it would have happened on his own. _No,_ he corrected himself with a confused frown, _I wasn't angry until I realised he could see my thoughts…_

* * *

Alfred had pretty much "tidied" the whole of his room when he heard a knock on his door. He looked up and watched as Arthur sidled in. "I-I'm back," he said. He looked rather nervous. Was it because of losing his powers? Maybe he'd chicken out. This thought annoyed Alfred and he resolved to make sure that the angel did as he had promised. "I-I got all your things. I left them in the living room. And… Well… I need your help… N-Not that I _want_ your help or anything! I just can't peel off my powers and hold the jar still at the same time… Well, I could, because I'm that much better than you, but, I don't want to break it and I suppose it would help if you were there… Of course, I've never done it before and…" His voice trailed off into a mumble.

_Ah. So he's nervous cause he needs help? Cute._ Alfred shook the thoughts from his head, not sure if the last word had been on an ironic note. He simply nodded and moved towards the door. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just… Just come to my room and hold the jar tight. Don't let it drop. And keep your eyes closed."

Arthur led them through to his room where the mess left by the intruder was still wholly evident. The table with the Bible had been pushed to the side. He handed Alfred a clean, empty jar he had probably gotten from the kitchen and positioned Alfred in the middle of the room where the table had used to stand, ordering the American to take the lid off.

"Remember," he said, his hands still on Alfred's shoulder, his eyes boring into those shining blue ones. "Don't look. No matter what."

Alfred suddenly felt worried. No matter what? What did he mean by that? He nodded and swallowed, closing his eyes.

At first nothing happened – all he could hear was the angel's and his own breathing. Then the angel took a deeper breath and began an incantation. He could hear the voice shaking slightly. Perhaps the angel wasn't up for this – perhaps he should stop him before he went too far.

However, before he could act on his growing doubt, he could see a bright light through the thin shield of his eyelids. The angel continued the incantation and then, suddenly, stopped speaking. There was a short silence.

It was broken by a grunt, as if someone was trying to conceal their pain. At the same moment, Alfred could feel something hitting the jar. Alarmed at the force, he hugged the jar tightly. He wondered what was happening and desperately wanted to open his eyes. However, the bright light was still there and he got the sense of power just from that. He opted to try closing them tighter.

Then Arthur made another barely suppressed grunt and another which seemed to be louder. After that, Alfred could hear him panting followed by a low noise deep in his throat. Each of these was accompanied with something hitting the jar.

The alarmed American screwed his eyes tighter shut when Arthur started to yelp and yell, panting almost constantly now. This was hurting him. Really hurting. Alfred felt awful. He had only come here because he had been sent and he was trying to _help_ him. And what had he done? Pushed him away and ordered him around, acted cold to him, snapped at him – and now he was going through all this pain just to satisfy Alfred's own selfishness. He was beginning to hate himself – what sort of a guy was he to do this to a person?

"Alfred," said a tired voice. Alfred almost blinked in surprised but he stopped himself. He realised that there was a large force pushing into the jar. The panting had also stopped. And something was trickling down his cheeks – he hoped it wasn't tears. "Alfred," the voice repeated softly. "You can… put the lid… on now… After that… you can open… your eyes…" Arthur sounded exhausted so Alfred hurriedly put the lid on the jar and blinked his eyes open.

Arthur was sprawled on the floor, naked. There were no wings, no halo, no sandals or toga. He looked exhausted and he seemed to be sweating quite a bit. He appeared to be smaller than he had been – or, rather, so Alfred perceived him in that moment. He seemed really weak and he was gazing up at him behind half-lidded eyes.

Alfred looked away, blushing. He grabbed the cover from the bed and threw it over Arthur so he could gain some modesty. It landed on his head and, slowly, unsure, the angel pulled it off and held it in front of himself.

"Put the jar… on the table… please…" said Arthur, still panting slightly. Alfred nodded and carefully placed the jar on the table. It seemed to be softly glowing, turning different colours as he watched. "Don't look!" snapped Arthur, suddenly seeming to gain energy. The mesmerised Alfred blinked in surprise and looked round – he suddenly felt as if he had woken from a dream. He shuddered. The power in the jar was terrifying.

Arthur was trying to stand when he looked at him, holding onto the wall. Alfred bit his lip before hurrying across. "Here, let m-" he began, reaching out to the new human. However, his hands were batted away by the older man.

"I don't need your help!" he snapped. "I'm just tired. I'm going to sleep. You should be in bed, too. You have classes in the morning."

The American looked at him. He had an angry, determined expression on his face – he was probably angry at himself for being so weak now, Alfred guessed. He backed off, watching him make his wobbly way round the room and to the bed where he fell onto it. Alfred almost passed comment on the fact that he was naked and now on _top _of the cover instead of snuggled under it. The change in the other's breathing stopped him – the Brit had fallen asleep.

Shaking his head, he walked over and gently lifted him slightly – he was very light – and pulled at the cover until he had enough to cover the man. Once he had tucked him in, he looked at his face. He had never seen him so peaceful and still. Usually, he had a stern look or he seemed flustered if he didn't understand something. Now his brow was smooth and he seemed to finally be relaxed.

Alfred found himself wondering what he would look like with a smile…

* * *

_**I hope you like it. The stripping of Arthur's powers seems like a rather stupid thing, really. But it's rather essential for another part of the story which I hope will also make sense...  
**_


End file.
